After conservative backlash, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has pulled from the internet an essay by an African-American bishop on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
A USCCB representative says the document, “DEI Means God,” from Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington, was published by mistake on Sept. 8 and did not go through the normal review process.
“[It] is a draft of a personal reflection from Bishop Campbell that is yet to be discussed and given a definitive publication plan,” said Chieko Noguchi, who leads the USCCB’s office of public affairs.
“It was mistakenly posted to the website, and it has been taken down.”
The essay closely follows themes from a homily Campbell preached earlier this year at a Mass for Black History Month, celebrated in February at the Church of the Incarnation, an African-American parish in Washington staffed by the Josephites.
The message included stark criticism of the recent conservative backlash against DEI, which has included broad ideological shifts away from minority recognition in various American industries. Central to Campbell’s homily was a reference to the Latin word “Dei,” which translates in English to “God.”
Campbell, in his homily and in the recent essay, also criticized the second administration of President Donald Trump, which has made thousands of job cuts related to DEI since an executive order against the practice was issued in January. The president of the National Black Catholic Congress since 2019, Campbell has been an outspoken voice against racism and discrimination in the United States, including in the political realm.
“The current government administration that we have is working to separate us from one another,” Campbell wrote in the now-hidden document, “not just migrants, but many, especially people of color, who have been denied for far too long, equal opportunities in education, social recognition, and economic growth, truly denying the DIGNITY OF EVERY HUMAN BEING!”
Nate Tinner-Williams
The essay was shared by the USCCB the day after its publication, via the regular email newsletter from the Subcommittee on African-American Affairs, which Campbell chairs.
The document quickly caught the attention of several conservative Catholic media outlets, including Catholic Culture, Complicit Clergy, and First Things. In their responses, they strongly criticized what they perceived as an undue progressive message from the Black Catholic prelate, seemingly endorsed by the U.S. bishops at large.
By Sept. 12, the essay was removed by the USCCB from direct public view on its website, though it was apparently not deleted from the internal servers. It remains accessible by a simple web search as of Wednesday morning.
It is unclear how or by whom the essay was initially published on the USCCB website, or what protocols the conference normally uses to approve such documents. The conference also did not share details on whether “DEI Means God” will be published again in the future.
Contacted by email, Bishop Campbell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
